The 9th Asian Winter Games commence in Harbin, Heilongjiang province. [Photo/IC]

Eight athletes born after 2000 will make their debut at the 9th Asian Winter Games, which will commence in Harbin, "city of ice and snow", in Heilongjiang province on Feb 7.

Among the athletes are established veterans like Li Wenlong, Shandong's first Winter Olympics medalist, alongside rising stars like Liu Haoyu and Zhang Shihao.

At this year's Asian Winter Games, Shandong athletes will compete in short track speed skating, cross-country skiing, ski mountaineering, snowboarding men's slopestyle and large hill, and freestyle skiing men's slopestyle and large hill.

Zhang Haizhong, director of the Shandong Provincial Winter Sports Center, aims for winning gold medals for Shandong at the event and giving Shandong athletes the chance to be selected for the Milan Winter Olympics national team.

The 9th Asian Winter Games is the first international comprehensive winter sports event to be held in China since the Beijing Winter Olympics. The Chinese delegation, comprising 170 athletes, will compete in all 64 events.